Spanish Grammar and Sentence Structure Syllabus

What is the fundamental difference in aspect between the preterite and the imperfect?

The preterite views a past action as completed with a defined beginning/end; the imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background past actions with no defined endpoint.

State the preterite endings for regular -ar verbs (e.g., hablar).

-é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron: hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron.

State the preterite endings shared by regular -er and -ir verbs (e.g., comer/vivir).

-í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron: comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron.

State the imperfect endings for regular -ar verbs (e.g., hablar).

-aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban: hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban.

State the imperfect endings shared by regular -er and -ir verbs (e.g., comer).

-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían: comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían.

Name the only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense and give their 'yo' forms.

ser → era, ir → iba, ver → veía. These are the only imperfect irregulars; all other verbs are regular in the imperfect.

List typical trigger words/phrases that signal the imperfect rather than the preterite.

Habitual/repeated-time markers: siempre, a menudo, todos los días, mientras, cada, generalmente, de niño, mientras. They cue ongoing or repeated past action.

List typical trigger words/phrases that signal the preterite.

Completed-time markers: ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, el año pasado, de repente, una vez, esta mañana. They cue a single completed past action.

How are the preterite and imperfect combined when one action interrupts another in the past?

The imperfect sets the ongoing background action and the preterite marks the interrupting completed action: Yo dormía (imperfect) cuando sonó (preterite) el teléfono — I was sleeping when the phone rang.

How is the simple future tense formed for regular verbs of all three conjugations?

Add the endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the full infinitive: hablaré, comerás, vivirá. The endings are identical for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.

Name five common verbs with irregular future/conditional stems and give the stems.

tener → tendr-, poner → pondr-, salir → saldr-, venir → vendr-, hacer → har-, decir → dir-, poder → podr-, saber → sabr-, querer → querr-. (Any five.) The same irregular stems are used for both future and conditional.

How is the conditional tense formed for regular verbs?

Add the endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the full infinitive: hablaría, comerías, viviría. The stem (infinitive or irregular stem) is the same as the future.

What are the two main uses of the simple future tense in Spanish?

1) To express future actions (Iré mañana = I will go tomorrow). 2) To express probability/conjecture about the present (¿Qué hora será? = I wonder what time it is).

What are the two main uses of the conditional tense in Spanish?

1) To express what 'would' happen (Yo viajaría a España = I would travel to Spain). 2) To express probability/conjecture about the past (Serían las tres = It was probably three o'clock).

Besides the simple future, how can future intention be expressed with 'ir'?

With the near future 'ir a + infinitive': Voy a estudiar = I am going to study. This is very common in speech for planned near-future actions.

Define a simple sentence (oración simple) in Spanish grammar.

A simple sentence contains a single conjugated verb and expresses one complete idea with one independent clause: María canta (María sings); Los niños juegan en el parque.

What are the two essential parts of a simple sentence, and can the subject be omitted in Spanish?

The subject (sujeto) and the predicate (predicado, containing the verb). Because verb endings show the person, the subject pronoun is often omitted: (Yo) hablo español.

What is the typical (unmarked) word order of a Spanish declarative sentence?

Subject–Verb–Object (SVO): Juan (subject) come (verb) manzanas (object). Spanish word order is flexible, but SVO is the neutral default.

Define a compound sentence (oración compuesta coordinada) and how its clauses relate.

A compound sentence joins two or more independent clauses of equal grammatical rank with a coordinating conjunction. Each clause could stand alone: Yo estudio y ella trabaja.

Name the main types of Spanish coordinating conjunctions with an example of each.

Copulative (y/e, ni), disjunctive (o/u), adversative (pero, sino, mas), and consecutive/illative (por lo tanto, así que). E.g., 'No come pan sino fruta.'

When does 'y' change to 'e' and 'o' change to 'u' in Spanish?

'y' becomes 'e' before a word starting with the i/hi sound (Juan e Isabel; madre e hija). 'o' becomes 'u' before a word starting with the o/ho sound (siete u ocho; mujer u hombre).

What is the difference between 'pero' and 'sino'?

'pero' introduces a contrast or addition (Es caro pero bueno = It's expensive but good). 'sino' corrects a preceding negative statement, meaning 'but rather' (No es rojo sino azul = It's not red but blue).

Define a complex sentence (oración compuesta subordinada) in Spanish.

A complex sentence contains a main (independent) clause and at least one subordinate (dependent) clause that cannot stand alone and depends on the main clause: Creo que llueve (I think that it is raining).

Name the three main categories of subordinate clauses in Spanish.

Noun clauses (sustantivas, e.g., 'que vengas'), adjective/relative clauses (adjetivas/de relativo, e.g., 'el libro que leí'), and adverbial clauses (adverbiales, e.g., 'cuando llegues').

What is a relative (adjective) clause, and which relative pronoun is most common?

A relative clause modifies a noun (the antecedent) and is introduced by a relative pronoun. The most common is 'que' (that/which/who): El hombre que vive aquí — the man who lives here.

When are 'quien/quienes' used instead of 'que' as relative pronouns?

'quien/quienes' refer only to people and are used chiefly after a preposition or in non-restrictive clauses set off by commas: La mujer con quien hablo; Mi hermano, quien es médico, llega hoy.

Which conjunction most commonly introduces a subordinate noun clause, and what mood may it trigger?

'que' (that) introduces noun clauses: Quiero que vengas. It triggers the subjunctive when the main clause expresses wish, emotion, doubt, or influence (Espero que estés bien).

Give an example of an adverbial subordinate clause of time and note the mood used for future reference.

'Cuando llegues, llámame' (When you arrive, call me). Adverbial time clauses referring to a not-yet-realized future action take the subjunctive (llegues), while habitual/past facts take the indicative (Cuando llego, como).

Compare a compound sentence and a complex sentence in terms of clause equality.

In a compound (coordinated) sentence the joined clauses are grammatically equal and independent (Corro y nado). In a complex (subordinated) sentence one clause is dependent on and subordinate to the main clause (Corro cuando puedo).

How does gender/number agreement extend across an entire simple sentence with a predicate adjective?

A predicate adjective linked by ser/estar still agrees with the subject in gender and number: Las casas están limpias (feminine plural subject → feminine plural adjective); El coche es rojo (masculine singular).